Teaching BrainWise Since 2010 at the St. Louis Special School District
Posted On: September 27, 2026Prior to the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), many states maintained laws that permitted public schools to deny enrollment to children who were deaf, blind, identified as emotionally disturbed, or had intellectual disabilities. In 1970, only one in five children with disabilities had access to public education, while nearly 1.8 million children were completely excluded from the public school system.
The passage of federal special education legislation in 1975 marked a significant civil rights milestone, establishing the right of children with disabilities to receive a free and appropriate public education and fundamentally transforming educational access and opportunities in the United States. [sites.ed.gov], [gse.harvard.edu]
Rare Support for Disabled Youth Since 1957. In 1957, parents in St. Louis County advocated for their children and partnered with civic leaders and voters to create an educational system that broke this mold — the Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD). SSD remains one of the most distinctive and forward‑thinking public education systems in the nation. Its county-wide model provides equitable, high-quality services to students with disabilities regardless of their home district, background, or level of need.
BrainWise and St. Louis SSD. For funding reasons, the model has never been fully replicated in other states, although some partial variations exist. SSD continues to stand out as a national example of coordinated, community- driven support for disabled youth. BrainWise was introduced to SSD in 2010 by Dr. Mollie Bolton, a leader in SSD’s curriculum and instruction who later became Chief of Teaching, Learning and Accountability. SSD educators found that BrainWise strengthened their mission to prepare students for independence, employment, and successful adult lives.
Why SSD Chose BrainWise. Initially, BrainWise was primarily used by social workers and teachers who worked closely with SEB and five years ago, BrainWise was approved for use by all teachers. Team members consistently describe the powerful, long‑term impact BrainWise has had on their students and note that BrainWise turns complex thinking skills into simple, concrete tools students of all abilities can understand and use.
BrainWise breaks complex cognitive processes into clear, repeatable actions that show students how using these skills helps them prevent and manage problems. Team leaders agree that this structured, visual, hands‑on approach is especially effective for students with special needs, who benefit from learning methods that make abstract thinking skills concrete and easy-to-understand.
Read more about the wonderful work those at SSD are doing for a vulnerable and important population. https://conta.cc/4h9UaKt
